A Note from the Artist:
We created the opera-requiem IYOV in the synthetis genre. We aimed to get rid of most musical and theatrical cliches: from the great post-romantic opera to the modern chamber tradition.
The rejection of classical theatrical "action" allowed us to dig deeper into the sound-scape. The traditional operatic libretto was replaced by the mix of biblical story and canonical Requiem texts.
Job has become very important for us. He was a legendary prophet who is important for Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Thus, Job is a mythological interconfessional figure.
A special aspect of the performance is working with the prepared grand piano. We opened the lid and immersed our vocal ensemble into its inner world, mixing the resonances of the piano strings with the vibrations of the human voice, and using the wooden deck of the instrument as percussion.An opera-requiem, IYOV is a story of the biblical character Job’s life, pride and disbelief. Named for the Hebrew word for Job, IYOV centers on the man’s search for life's meaning through a synthesis of musical and theatrical techniques ranging from ancient Greek drama to baroque opera and more. Combining minimalism and the avant-garde, neoclassicism and rock, the music of IYOV features polyphonic choral episodes and instrumental interludes that alternate with a full range of the human voice: everything from classical, jazz and folk singing to breathing, screaming, whispering and overtone singing. At the center of IYOV’s musical landscape is an exceptional piano that sonically transforms into a self-contained orchestra, echoing a harpsichord, drums, and even a synthesizer and other electronic instruments. An extraordinary Ukrainian opera, IYOV blends an emotional journey, the birth of a new sound, and the endless possibilities of the human voice.
Director Vladyslav Troitskyi
Conductor & Composer Roman Grygoriv
Composer Illia Razumeiko
Live Video Mixer Mariia Volkova
Lighting Designer Nataliya Perchyshena
Sound Engineer Caley Monahon-Ward
Nova Opera: http://novaopera.com.ua/
Cast
Actor Marina Celander
Singer Mariana Holovko
Singer Ruslan Kirsh
Singer Andrii Koshman
Singer Hanna Marych
Singer Yevhen Rakhmanin
Singer Oleksandra Turyanska
Instrumentalist Zhanna Marchinska
Instrumentalist Andrii Nadolskyi
Instrumentalist Illia Razumeiko
IYOV was created in 2015 at the order of the festival of contemporary art, GogolFest. IYOV is made possible by the Trust for Mutual Understanding.
NOVA OPERA is a group of young Ukrainian artists the aim of which is search for new ways of developing of music theatre. Musicians create the new synthetic genres and experiment with untypical music and stage performances. The music language of the performances hasn’t got any aesthetic borders and freely unites avant-guard and rock, Gregorian choral and trip-hop, new baroque and folk improvisations. The vocal-instrumental ensemble of NOVA OPERA investigates possibilities of human voice and uses non-academic methods of playing music instruments such as prepared piano, bit-box, body-percussion and so on. The use of achievements of traditional theatre is mixed with the modern technologies: vj-ing and live-electronic music.
Vlad Troitskyi is a key figure in contemporary Ukrainian art. Founder of Kyiv DAKH theatre, GOGOLFEST festival and cult ‘DakhaBrakha’ and ‘Dakh Daughters’ bands. His performances are always multilayered in shapes and meanings, and if we trust that the mission of a theatre is to provide a spectator with nourishment for mind and soul, allow him to feel catharsis and cleansing, this place is where one can find genuine performing art.
More: http://novaopera.com.ua/video/
